Global Patent Index - EP 3273443 A1

EP 3273443 A1 20180124 - A METHOD OF OPERATING A MEMORY

Title (en)

A METHOD OF OPERATING A MEMORY

Title (de)

VERFAHREN ZUM BETRIEB EINES SPEICHERS

Title (fr)

PROCÉDÉ DE FONCTIONNEMENT D'UNE MÉMOIRE

Publication

EP 3273443 A1 20180124 (EN)

Application

EP 17020367 A 20081118

Priority

  • US 94391607 A 20071121
  • EP 08852022 A 20081118
  • US 2008083915 W 20081118

Abstract (en)

As disclosed herein, a non-volatile memory cell (208) is programmed at a first resolution, and is sensed at a second resolution different from the first resolution. In programming and sensing (also known as reading) a non-volatile memory cell, embodiments of the present invention divide the usable threshold voltage range of the non-volatile memory cells into an increased number of ranges, yielding a programming and/or a read/sense voltage resolution (also known as programming or sensing granularity) for the memory device that is higher than required by the defined logic windows of the cell. In some embodiments of the present invention this increased programming and/or sense voltage resolution may be higher than the maximum number of logic windows/threshold voltage ranges the memory cells can reliably store. It is also noted that programming operation resolution can differ from that of read/sense operation resolution. In one embodiment the programming operation voltage resolution is lower than the read operation voltage resolution, allowing for increased read accuracy and data read back/encoding. In another embodiment of the present invention the programming operation voltage resolution is higher than the read operation voltage resolution, allowing for increased programming accuracy and data disturb compensation, thereby increasing data storage stability and subsequent read back accuracy.

IPC 8 full level

G11C 11/56 (2006.01); G11C 16/04 (2006.01); G11C 16/10 (2006.01); G11C 16/12 (2006.01); G11C 16/26 (2006.01); G11C 16/34 (2006.01); G11C 27/00 (2006.01); G11C 7/16 (2006.01)

CPC (source: EP US)

G11C 11/5628 (2013.01 - EP US); G11C 11/5642 (2013.01 - EP US); G11C 16/0483 (2013.01 - EP US); G11C 16/10 (2013.01 - EP US); G11C 16/26 (2013.01 - EP US); G11C 16/3427 (2013.01 - EP US); G11C 27/005 (2013.01 - EP US); G11C 7/16 (2013.01 - EP US); G11C 16/3418 (2013.01 - EP US); G11C 2211/5641 (2013.01 - EP US)

Citation (search report)

Designated contracting state (EPC)

AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK TR

DOCDB simple family (publication)

US 2009129153 A1 20090521; US 7633798 B2 20091215; CN 101868829 A 20101020; CN 101868829 B 20140129; CN 103680605 A 20140326; CN 103680605 B 20160817; EP 2218074 A1 20100818; EP 2218074 A4 20110105; EP 2218074 B1 20171004; EP 3273443 A1 20180124; EP 3273443 B1 20191113; JP 2011504277 A 20110203; JP 2015043253 A 20150305; JP 5914613 B2 20160511; KR 101125876 B1 20120322; KR 20100093089 A 20100824; TW 200931432 A 20090716; TW 201337944 A 20130916; TW I402854 B 20130721; TW I518702 B 20160121; US 2010091565 A1 20100415; US 2011103145 A1 20110505; US 7872912 B2 20110118; US 8111550 B2 20120207; WO 2009067448 A1 20090528

DOCDB simple family (application)

US 94391607 A 20071121; CN 200880117048 A 20081118; CN 201310711960 A 20081118; EP 08852022 A 20081118; EP 17020367 A 20081118; JP 2010535029 A 20081118; JP 2014208130 A 20141009; KR 20107013374 A 20081118; TW 102120182 A 20081121; TW 97145258 A 20081121; US 2008083915 W 20081118; US 201113005291 A 20110112; US 63860309 A 20091215